A thief was caught red-handed by a Blue Security and Community Crime Prevention Organisation (CCPO) reaction officer, pushing a stolen off-road motorcycle along Kingsway on Thursday morning, 6 February.
According to CCPO operations manager, Leon Joone, the officer spotted the thief at about 3.20am.
“The suspect did not have the key to the motorbike, and he had a laptop that he couldn’t switch on,” said Leon.
Toti SAPS was called to the scene and a follow-up investigation traced the stolen goods to an Ellcock Road resident.
It is believed the thief had done some work for the resident and he was part of a group of men who sit on Kingsway, waiting for work.
A debate has since broken out on social media about whether these unemployed people should be allowed to loiter in the area, as crimes in the area are often attributed to them.
One person posted: “I think everyone should just stop picking people up here in Warner Beach. If we, as a community, don’t support them, they will not have a need to sit around, messing up the streets.”
Some believed there should rather be a central point to pick up casual labour, and that tourism potential is negatively affected by the loiterers.
Asked whether he thought having these people loitering in the area negatively affects tourism, Sapphire Coast Toti Tourism chairman, Jacques van Schalkwyk replied “yes and no”.
“Yes, it is not great having people loitering in an area. Unfortunately criminals are able to hide between innocent, unemployed people looking for work.
Perhaps what we need is a proper, dedicated unemployment office that can keep record of people needing work with their particulars and referrals with ID documents in this area.
Unfortunately, even if there was such a facility, the supply and demand factor applies and as long as people keep picking up these loitering people for work, then the supply with continue as well.
But, no I don’t think having people loitering affects tourism directly. Tourists are not going to stop coming to our area because there are people loitering, as this applies around the country and world.
But, one of the things that affects tourism directly is crime and if crime is coming from individuals hiding between the loitering people, then it is a problem that needs to be sorted out.
Perhaps someone in the Sapphire community has the time or manpower to implement such an office or a solution for the problem.”
